Signal apparatus



B. F. MATTHIAS.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPL|CAT|0N FILED JUNE 23.7193. L1 94,761. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

B. F. MATTHIAS.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUNE 23. i913. 1,1 94,761. Patented Aug. 15,1916.

f@ @i e?! grM BENJAMIN F. MATTHIAS, OF GALION, OHIO.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Application iiled .Tune 23, 1913.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. MAT- THIAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Galion, county of Crawford, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, the principleof the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to signal apparatus, and particularly to a contacter adapted upon passage of a car or train to operate the signals either along the track or on the car through the contact of two members, one of which is placed in a relatively stationary or fixed position adjacent to the rails of the track, and the other of which is suitably attached to the frame of the car, locomotive or other conveyance being operated over the rails.

To the accomplishment of these and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings :-Figures 1 and 2 are elevations showing the relative positions of the two contact members adjacent to the track and on the frame of the car; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing` a modified form of the contact device; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing more or less diagrammatically the connection of the contact device along the track to operating means for controlling the signal; Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a detail of construction of the contact members shown in Fig. 4; Fig. lG is a plan view indicating the relative positions of the contact members upon engagement; Fig. 7 is aside elevation of a contact member attachedv to the car frame showing its connections with a suitable signal mechanism on the car which in the present instance is indicated as the braking means; and Fig. 8 is an elevation showing a detail of construction.

In all signal apparatus which depends for its operation upon the actual physical contact bnetwll e member fixed adjacent to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Auw. I5, i916.

Serial No. 775,182.

track and another member attached to the car frame great difficulty has been experienced in so constructing the members that the shock of contact will not cause the same to break, and numerous accidents have been met with in this type of apparatus. I have designed an apparatus which is designed to eliminatethese difliculties, as the two contacting members are so formed that the shock is reduced to a minimum upon contact, each of the members preferably being given a certain amount of resiliently restrained movement which further tends to take up the shock and to remove the same from the contacting members themselves.

In Fig. l my invention is shown as consisting of two hardened steel balls I and 2, of which the ball 1 is disposed in jaws 3 attached to a plate 4 which is fixed with respect to the rails 5, thus maintaining such balls at a constant fixed height. The other of the balls 2 is disposed in similar jaws 6 which are attached to the axle 7 of a car or engine either by means of a lever 8 or by other suitable members, such ball being so disposed that upon passage of a car over the first-named ball the two will contact slightly, thus giving each a movement, the fixed ball 9. in a downward direction and .the ball l on the car in an upward direction. It will be understood that I do not limit myself to so disposing the balls that the movement will be in this direction, as it is obvious that the balls might be so disposed that each would receive a lateral movement although the movement here mentioned is to be preferred by reason of the greater accuracy of disposition which is possible in this construction. Thus the axle of the car and the rails are always at a fixed distance j j irrespective of depressions of the ties or of lateral irregularities of the rails, and hence if a ball is attached to the axle and another supported from the rail it will be quite evident that they can be so gaged that they will always contact at substantially the same angles.

From Fig. 3 it will be seen that I do not limit myself to balls of the same size, as it is quite possible that the fixed ball, referring j now to the one held on the track, may be of much larger diameter than the movable ball attached to the car, in which case it will only be necessary to use a portion of a ball on the i track. In other words,` merely a plater 10 having an upper spherically rounded sur;v

face can there be used, such plate being provided with lateral flanges or arms ll which move in a circular groove l2 formed in a base member 13, the plate also having a central vertical axis consisting of a pin ll which is rotatable in a sleeve l5 formed in the base member, there being two sockets 16 in the base member which are provided to receive resilient springs 17 tending to hold the plate against upwardly and laterally extending jaws 18 on the base member. In this way the springs always maintain the plate in its upper position but permit of a certain downward movement upon contact by the ball attached to the lever which mounted upon the axle of the car. The preferred position of the ball relative to the plate is shown in F ig. G, from which it will be seen that it is desirable to have the ball contact the plate on one side of the central axis, in this manner taking up a certain amount of the shock by rotation of the plate upon the axis. It it is desired to operate a track signal system itis necessary to provide a sleeve 20 rotatably mounted upon the lower end oi" the pin constituting the axis of the plate, such sleeve vbeing held against longitudinal movement on such pin by means ot' a collar 2l attached to the pin. A yoked rod or lever 23 is pivotally attached to the sleeve and pivoted on a fixed lug 0r bracket 24 which is suitably mounted adjacent to the track, such lever being suitably connected to a bell-crank lever 25 also pivotally mounted adjacent to the track, the bellcrank lever being connected to operate a semaphore (not shown) disposed at any suitable point along the track. I have not vshown in detail the various levers connecting the bell-crank with the semaphore as this may be of any suitable type such as are in. such common use in signal systems. Any suitable means may be used to multiply the movement of the plate, such as those indi cated.

In Fig. 7 I show the movable ball 2 which is placed on the car as held in jaws 30 attached to the axle, such jaws preventing' the removal ot' the ball but permitting the upward reciprocation of the ball against a curved plate 3l which is normally held in its lower position against the ball by means of a spring 32, such plate being attached to one end of a pivoted lever 33, and the pivoted lever being attached to a valve operating rod 34. The valve operating rod is adapted when swung toopen an air valve 35 attached to the air tank 36 of the car. The

Yair tank 3G of the car is shown more or less diagrammatically, and it will be readily seen that it is oit' the usual Vestinghouse airbrake type in which there is a piston 37 normally held substantially centrally in the tank, therebeing air pressure on either side of the piston head. Upon opening the valve is pivotally 35 behind the piston the air is exhausted and the pressure on the upper side of the piston forces the same through the tank, thus operating the air-brakesin the well known manner. It will be noticed that, since the ball 2 is connected directly to the air valve operating rod 34, the return oi the ball to normal position will close the valve again. In order to prevent this a pivoted latch 38 may be provided having a shoulder 50 adapted to engage the rod 3l and retain the same in its open position, a spring holding the latch in such engagement. Similar controlling means may be attached to the semaphore operating levers but as the purpose and c on-V struction of such means will be (readily understood I have not shown the same in detail. Y

The signal mechanism which I have indicated as connected up to my improved contactor is shown for the purpose of illustrating the ease and convenience of attachment of the contacter to this type of mechanism, and it is not intended by such illustration to convey the idea that the contacter is necessarily limited to use in this particularco1nbination. It may of course only be necessary or desirable to connect the contact mechanism to a single signal system such as that along the track, in which case the connections between the ball on the car and the air tank will of course be omitted and the construction of the elements of the contacter can then be modied as may be desirable. Similarly, it may be unnecessary to operate any signal mechanism on the track, in which case the rounded plate will be merely reciprocably and rotatably mounted in the body member and the ball will be held in the lever or in a frame as indicatedin Figs. 2 and 5. Also it will be understood that the present improved contactor may be employed in connectionl with various other types of signal mechanism either on the car or along the track, such mechanism, for example, as electrical signals, crossing signals, pneumatic block, etc. The contacter may in tact be used as the starting or operating device for controlling electrically, mechanically, pneumatically operated systems of whatever type is desirable. Y

The advantage of'using balls as the two contacting elements will be apparent, as in this way both contacting members are given al rounded surface, the shook thereby being transferred from a lateral shock to substantially a vertical, or 'at least a diagonal one.

Furthermore, by making the balls rotatable in the jaws aportion of the shock Vis taken up by rotation, each ball rotating slightly upon each contact, thus presenting a new portion of its surface to the next contact. In this way the life of the balls is increased greatly, while it lis possible by constructing one ball of slightly softer material than the other to make sure which will first give way, thus increasing the efficiency of the inspection and providing against any possible accident to the apparatus. It will be readily seen that the movement allowed the balls can be changed or modied without affecting the principle of operation or the advantages of the construction.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention l. In a contactor, the combination of a member suitably mounted adjacent to the rails of a track, said member having a curved surface of large radius, and being rotatably mounted about -a vertical axis, and a second member having a curved surface of relatively very much smaller radius than the curved surface of said first-named member, such curved surface of said second member being adapted to contact such firstnamed curved surface on one side of the axis of the same and at a point causing such contact to rotate said lirst-named member slightly, the pressure of the contact being transmitted substantially vertically downward.

2. In a contactor, the combination of vertical guide means disposed adjacent to the rails of a track, a plate reciprocably mounted in said guide means and adapted to rotate about a vertical axis, said plate having a `spherically formed upper surface, resilient supporting means disposed between said guide means and said plate and adapted to normally maintain said plate at a given position, a spherically formed socket at tached to the frame of a car, and a relatively small ball rotatably mounted therein and adapted to contact such spherical surface of said plate on one side of its axis, thereby depressing and rotating said plate.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 3. In a contactor, the combination of vertical guide means disposed adjacent to the rails of a track, a plate reciprocably mounted in said guide means and adapted to rotate about a vertical axis, said plate having a spherically formed upper surface, resilient supporting means disposed between said guide means and said plate and adapted to normally maintain said plate at a given position, a socket attached to the frame of a car, a spherically formed member reciprocably carried in said socket; resilient supporting means normally maintaining said member at a predetermined position, a ball rotatably held in said socket against said member, said ball being adapted to contact such spherical surface of said plate on one side of its axis, thereby depressing and rotating the same and simultaneously moving said ball and said member in said socket.

4:. In a contactor, the combination of a plate rotatably mounted about a vertical axis adjacent to the rails of a track, said plate having a spherically formed upper surface, a. ball rotatably attached to the frame of a car and adapted to contact the Lipper surface of said plate on one side of such axis, said plate being yieldingly mounted and actuated upon contact by said ball.

5. In a signal apparatus, the combination of guide means disposed adjacent to the rails of a track, a plate reciprocably mounted in said means and having a spherically shaped upper surface; a semaphore; operating levers connecting said plate and said semaphore and adapted to operate the latter upon depression of said plate, and a ball rotatably mounted in suitable socket means on said car and adapted to contact the spherically formed surface of said plate and to thereby depress the saine in said guide means.

Signed by me, this 16th day of June, i913.

BENJAMIN F. MATTHIAS.

Attested by E. F. KLorr, BYnD J. WHETBRIDGE.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

